What is heart disease?
Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, includes medical conditions that affect your heart. Examples include:
- Coronary artery disease
- Blood vessel diseases
- Heart defects
- Heart rhythm problems
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heart failure
Heart disease includes conditions that block or narrow blood vessels, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Early detection and treatment is crucial for optimal health.
What are the symptoms of heart disease?
If you have certain heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure (hypertension), you might not experience symptoms. Signs and symptoms associated with heart disease include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Chest tightness
- Pale skin
- Numbness or weakness in limbs
- Fatigue
- Swelling in your limbs
- Fainting
- Lightheadedness
- An irregular heartbeat
At the first sign of heart disease or one of its risk factors, see the Millennium Park Medical Associates team for an evaluation.
What are the risk factors for heart disease?
Genetics, family history of heart disease, and older age increase your risk of heart disease. So do poor dietary habits, inactivity, smoking, being overweight, chronic stress, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides. Healthy lifestyle habits are the best way to reduce heart disease risk factors.
How is heart disease diagnosed?
To diagnose heart disease and develop a treatment plan, Dr. Khan and your Millennium Park Medical Associates provider review your symptoms and medical history. They complete a physical exam and check your blood pressure, weight, pulse, and other vital signs. Your provider uses a blood test to evaluate cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
They might recommend an electrocardiogram (EKG), stress test, other heart function tests, chest X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs to diagnose your condition and create a treatment plan.
How is heart disease treated?
Heart disease specialists at Millennium Park Medical Associates customize treatments based on the severity of your condition. They might recommend:
Lifestyle changes
Eating a lower-fat, low-sodium diet, losing weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol, reducing stress, and getting regular exercise are examples of lifestyle changes that help manage heart disease and its risk factors.
Medications
Taking medication might help you better manage high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or heart disease to reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Surgery
In severe cases, your provider might recommend surgical procedures to open blocked arteries or repair other heart problems.
Don’t let heart disease and its risk factors go undetected and untreated. Schedule an appointment with Millennium Park Medical Associates by phone or online today.
